Croácia

3527

Data de início: 15-07-2013

Data de fim: 15-09-2013

Vagas: 4

Duração: 2 mes(es)

Data limite de candidatura: 10-07-2013

Financiamento: Candidatura

Subsídio mensal (Dinheiro de bolso): 95 €

Candidatura: Para te poderes candidatar tens de fazer o teu login. Se ainda não estás registado faz o teu registo primeiro.

Resumo: Velebit Mountain
Velebit is the largest mountain range in Croatia and the location of the world's deepest hole. Velebit has a very high biological diversity, due to very diverse habitats but also to the fact that some part of the mountain acted as refuge for numerous species during glaciations in the past. Three large carnivores widely inhabit in the area of Velebit - the brown bear (Ursus arctos), the wolf (Canis lupus) and the lynx (Lynx lynx). The basic geological characteristic of the mountains is karst. All types of karst phenomena as well as their transitional stages can be observed on Velebit Mountain, both on the surface and in the underground. International recognition was expressed in 1978, when the whole mountain became a Biosphere Reserve, within the UNESCO's Man and Biosphere Program (MAB).

Bears in Croatia
Bears and people have been living together in this area for thousands of years. The brown bear is one of the most vulnerable representatives of biodiversity of the area and plays an important role in its preservation. The brown bear is at the top of the food web chain and is directly threatened only by the man and his activities. Since the bear and the man inhabit the same areas, it is apparent that there is a need to ensure their coexistence. Bears living in Croatia are a part of the Dinaric population, which is the second largest population in Central and Southern Europe with about 2800 individuals. It is estimated that around 1100 bears live in Croatia, where they are considered as wildlife species, as well as a game species. However, the biggest threats to their survival are habitat fragmentation and destruction, human infrastructure and illegal hunting.

The village
The village of Kuterevo is located in the region Like in the mountain of Velebit. It lies 15km from the town of Otoèac which is the closest town and the administrative centre of the region. The village is not located on any important road; it borders the Velebit Nature Park and is in the vicinity to the Northern Velebit National Park. It is located in the valley and surrounded by hills and forest which is also habitat for several bears and other wild animals. People in the village are rather used to the presence of bears and other wild animals, but still they do not recognize the value, importance and potentials in terms of nature conservation and future generations.

The village numbers approximately 700 inhabitants employed mainly in agriculture, timber production and carpentry. Despite the decreasing demographic the village still has a primary school with eight classes and a number of young people choose to stay in the village or come back after the education in bigger towns. Some of them are actively included in the organisation's activities or in other local organizations such as Mountaineering Association or Volunteer Fire Department.

There are few important places in the village such as church, shop, bar and restaurant. All necessary groceries could be found either in the shop in the village or from local families (milk, cheese, eggs, vegetables, etc.). Buying food from locals is a good way to support organic production and interact with the people from the village. It also gives an opportunity to learn about home-made products and traditional ways of living. There are public phones in the village, but volunteers will also get a SIM card for mobile phones.

Perfil: The ideal volunteer for the project is open to new experiences and learning, flexible and adjustable to the new environments and circumstances. It is a person ready to experience a lifestyle radically different from his/hers. We are looking for volunteers who can cope with living calm and uneventful life but also working in big teams with lot of people around them and in very dynamic, intensive and challenging environment.
We do not have special demands for volunteers or previous skills or knowledge. Interested volunteers should send their Curriculum Vitae and motivation letter, which should include their honest motives for volunteering with us, as well as information about their experience and skills that are relevant for the project.

Tarefas: Upon their arrival the volunteers will be introduced to the organisation, the village and the environment. They will learn about the project and its aims and be introduced to their tasks, their rights and obligations. Volunteers should know that they will not be working directly with the bears, thus they should not expect any physical contact with them.
Local volunteers in the organization are good in English and/or German. Most of the local people are not very familiar with English or other foreign languages, but the local young people are able to communicate and are willing to learn. However, the volunteers will have to learn Croatian language (which is understandable all around the Balkans) so they can be as integrated in the community as possible. In the beginning of their service, the volunteers will receive an intensive course, while later regular lessons will be organized (twice per week).
During their stay in Kuterevo the volunteers will have lots of opportunities to learn through different non-formal activities as well as through everyday work and life. They will be learning about nature, volunteering, local culture and lifestyle. We expect that they will learn about the following:
" raising orphan bear cubs and their behaviour
" the biology of the bear, conservation of bears and their habitat in Croatia and Europe
" the bear mythology
" flora and fauna of the region, medicinal and edible plants and mushrooms
" geomorphology of the region
" sustainable living and organic gardening
" local tradition, customs, and handicrafts
" improve or gain skills in carpentry and building
" Croatian language and it's regional variety
" project management and volunteer coordination
" group leadership skills (will be optional if volunteers want to lead voluntary groups)
Since the village is surrounded with beautiful mountains, which are also protected, the volunteers will have a lot of opportunities for free time activities such as hiking, learning about flora and fauna of the region, visiting national parks, etc. Besides that, Kuterevo is famous for carpentry and the volunteers will have a possibility to learn how to work with wood and how to produce different hand-made wooden products.
Volunteers will be involved in one or more concrete project activities that will be associated with one of the three main areas that the organization is dealing with: nature conservation, local community and its culture and volunteering. EVS volunteers will have very important role in capacity building of the Volunteers' Station, in documenting the natural and cultural heritage and in strengthening partnership with public institutions. According to their preferences, experience and motivation, volunteers will be involved in some of the following activities
Nature conservation projects:
1. The Bear Refuge Project - there are many activities around the Refuge, but the volunteers will be working on the following:
" Establishing and maintaining the Bear Refuge - the volunteers will be involved in most of the everyday activities of the refuge: planning and preparation of the upcoming season, preparation of the facilities for the guest groups, repair and construction works at the enclosures, refurbishment of the visitor area etc. This includes sometimes hard physical work, depending on the volunteer's capabilities. Kuterevo Bear Refuge is an example for future similar projects that will be established on several locations within the bear teritory. Establishing a new Refuge will require a lot of volunteer work and support and EVS volunteers will play an important role.
" Visitors Centre - there is a lot of visitors (schools, families, foreigners etc.), among which a great percent of foreigners, coming to the Refuge to enjoy the presence of bears. The volunteers will assist in guiding the visitors through area and informing them about the story of the bears and people. Volunteers will receive an adequate preparation for these tasks, although they will be encouraged to make research on their own.
2. Non-invasive sampling for brown bear population genetic analyses - in cooperation with the University of Veterinary Medicine the volunteers will contribute in the population study in order to estimate the size of the population in certain areas. This study will serve as initial phase of long-term research for alternative ways of population controls and wildlife managements. The main goals of the alternative management options are biodiversity and habitat conservation and brown bear protection.
3. Road mitigation measures on amphibian populations - It is now well established that amphibians are suffering widespread decline and extinctions. Among other causes, urbanization is responsible for habitat reduction, habitat fragmentation and massive road kills. This project will include setting up the warning signs along the road, documenting their migration, helping the frogs to cross the road during seasonal migrations and organizing informative and educational events.
4. The Bear Walking Trail - This project of a 42km-hiking trail around the village, which will connect 16 mountain tops, was initiated together with the Mountaineering Association. Besides trail making, the volunteers will create panorama boards and information signs.

Preserving indigenous/native knowledge:
1. Preserving ethnological heritage - collecting and documenting ethnological inheritance that is unique for the village and the region. The tradition and native knowledge about the nature have to be preserved, so future generations can learn how to live with nature without destroying it, but respecting it and living well. The volunteers will make interviews, collect stories, make photo and video documentation and use their creativity to present or publish their results.
2. Preserving natural heritage - collecting and documenting natural values, using different forms and methods (interviews, photography, video etc.) in order to create a collection that will be used for educational purposes

Volunteer projects:
" Coordination of voluntary groups during the summer season - during the season of the volunteer workcamps (April to September) the volunteers will be working with leaders and coordinators of the volunteer groups. A team of at least four volunteers (local and/or international) will be responsible for voluntary groups that will be working in the Refuge, village and forest. Volunteers will get an opportunity to participate in the "Leadership Training Seminar", so they can develop their leadership skills.
" Animating kindergarden and school children - we would like to strengthen interaction and cooperation with local community, especially with local youth, thus we would suggest different informal educational activities which the volunteers could run in local school or in the Refuge. For instance, they could organize language classes, workshops on volunteering and Youth in Action Program, or European Union etc. all according to volunteers' skills and interests.
In addition to the Refuge in Kuterevo, another Bear Refuge is planned to be established in Gorski Kotar region and therefore some of the activities will be directly related to that, what means that some of the activities will take place in that location.
The volunteers will also have opportunities to actively participate in local cultural and traditional events such as fairs, exhibitions, presentations and festivities where we are aiming to inform visitors and to raise public interest in bear conservation.
The volunteers will have the freedom and support to run their own small scale projects related to the issues the organisation deals with (bear care and awareness raising, ecology, sustainable development, community development, youth issues, promotion etc).

Finally, we expect from volunteers to make by themselves seven Kuterevo things (local, traditional products), which they will take back home.

Documentação: cv e carta de motivação em inglês